Three Light Switches

Wiring a 3 way light switch.

Three light switches. In a hallway or large room for example installing three way switches at both ends lets you turn the light fixture on or off from both locations. The most basic three way switch setup has two switches that connect and control one light fixture like switches on either end of a hallway staircase or large living area. With a pair of 3 way switches either can make or break the connection that completes the circuit to the light. You are outside the room and the door is closed.

But once you ve opened the door you may no longer touch a switch. Wall switches used to control ceiling light fixtures or other fixtures come in three types. Four way circuits are just a tad different than three way circuits mostly since the light switch that you add in has to be a four way switch rather than just another three way. A three way wall switch is a common type of light switch that makes it possible to control a ceiling light or other electrical fixture from two different locations in a room.

Three way lights are fairly common in a lot of larger houses but you might also find four way or even five way lights in some houses. Each light is connected to one of three switches outside of the room. A 3 way light switch allows you to control a light source from two separate points. For example a long hallway or stairway might use a pair of three way.

Although a 3 way is one of the hardest electrical circuits to figure out it s also one of the most useful. Beyond three way light switches. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more complicated than that of the more common single pole switch but you can figure it out if you follow our 3 way switch wiring diagram. There are several ways to install a 3 way light switch.

Before opening the door you may play around with the light switches as many times as you like.